Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD Wiley-Blackwell
Résumé : International audience
1. Our understanding of the contribution of interspecific interactions to functional diversity in nature lags behind our knowledge of spatial and temporal patterns. Although two-species mutualisms are found in all types of ecosystems, the study of their ecological influences on other community members has mostly been limited to third species, while their influence on entire communities remains largely unexplored. 2. We hypothesized that mutualistic interactions between two respective ant species and an epiphyte mediate the biological traits composition of entire invertebrate communities that use the same host plant, thereby affecting food webs and functional diversity at the community level. 3. Aechmea mertensii (Bromeliaceae) is both a phytotelm ('plant-held water') and an ant-garden epiphyte. We sampled 111 bromeliads (111 aquatic invertebrate communities) associated with either the ant Pachycondyla goeldii or Camponotus femoratus. The relationships between ants, bromeliads and invertebrate abundance data were examined using a redundancy analysis. Biological traits information for invertebrates was structured using a fuzzy-coding technique, and a co-inertia analysis between traits and abundance data was used to interpret functional differences in bromeliad ecosystems. 4. The vegetative traits of A. mertensii depended on seed dispersion by C. femoratus and P. goeldii along a gradient of local conditions. The ant partner selected sets of invertebrates with traits that were best adapted to the bromeliads' morphology, and so the composition of the biological traits of invertebrate phytotelm communities depends on the identity of the ant partner. Biological traits suggest a bottom-up control of community structure in C. fenaoratus-associated phytotelmata and a greater structuring role for predatory invertebrates in P. goeldii-associated plants. 5. This study presents new information showing that two-species mutualisms affect the functional diversity of a much wider range of organisms. Most biological systems form complex networks where nodes (e.g. species) are more or less closely linked to each other, either directly or indirectly, through intermediate nodes. Our observations provide community-level information about biological interactions and functional diversity, and perspectives for further observations intended to examine whether large-scale changes in interacting species/community structure over broad geographical and anthropogenic gradients affect ecosystem functions.
Functional Ecology

hal-01096909
https://hal-agroparistech.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01096909
DOI : 10.1111/j.1365-2435-2011.01863.x

Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD Springer Verlag (Germany)
Résumé :  
We present a plant trait database covering autecology for rain forest trees of French Guiana. The database comprises more than thirty traits including autecology (e.g., habitat associations and reproductive phenology), wood structure (e.g., density and tension characteristics) and physiology at the whole plant (e.g., carbon and nitrogen isotopes) and leaf level (e.g., specific leaf area, photosynthetic capacity). The current database describes traits for about nine hundred species from three hundred genera in one hundred families. For more than sixty species, data on twelve morphological and ecophysiological traits are provided for individual plants under different environmental conditions and at different ontogenetic stages. The database is thus unique in permitting intraspecific analyses, such as the effects of ontogenetic stages or environmental conditions on trait values and their relationships.
Annals of Forest Science

hal-01032196
https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01032196
DOI : 10.1051/forest:2007058

Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD Cambridge University Press (CUP)
Résumé : Patterns of leaf production and leaf fall directly influence leaf area index and forest productivity. Here, we focused on Cecropia sciadophylla individuals inhabiting the extremes of the gradient in seasonality in rainfall at which C. sciadophylla occurs. In Colombia and French Guiana we compared the intra-annual variation in leaf production as well as the intra-annual fluctuation in internode length on a total of 69 saplings ranging in size from 1 to 2 m. The mean rate of leaf production was similar to 2 leaves mo(-1) in both populations, and the rate of leaf production was constant throughout the year. Our results showed monthly variation in internode length and the number of live leaves per sapling in the seasonal habitat and variation only in internode length in the everwet habitat. Because the rate of leaf production is constant at both localities, the difference in number of live leaves per sapling at the seasonal site must reflect seasonal variation in leaf life span. We show that in Cecropia, internode length can serve as an indicator of precipitation seasonality. Finally an open question is whether leaf production in other pioneer species is also independent of climatic seasonal cues. This information could allow us to link growth and climate of secondary forest species and better understand how past and future climate can affect plant growth trajectories.
ISSN: 0266-4674

hal-01032402
https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01032402
DOI : 10.1017/S0266467413000394

Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD
Résumé : International audience
Philodendron acutatum (Araceae) is a hemiepiphyte common to the Atlantic Forest of northeastern Brazil. In two localities, we studied the species’ breeding system and associations with flower-visiting insects, along with an analysis of its floral scent composition. The fruit set of self-incompatible P. acutatum was high, more than 90%, and inflorescences were exclusively pollinated by one species of scarab beetle, Cyclocephala celata (Scarabaeidae, Dynastinae). Pollinators are drawn toward the inflorescences at dusk by strong floral fragrancesgiven off during the female phase of anthesis, along with endogenous heating of the spadix, whose temperatures were recorded at more than 11C above ambient air. Two other species of flower-visiting Cyclocephala were also consistently recovered in blacklight trappings during the flowering period of P. acutatum. The fact that only C. celata was found in association with P. acutatum suggests a local reproductivedependence of the plant to this scarab beetle species. Dihydro-b-ionone and 2-hydroxy-5-methyl-3-hexanone, a rare volatile molecule so far unreported as a floral compound, together accounted for more than 97% of the unique scent composition of P. acutatum and might be involved in specific attraction of C. celata.
International Journal of Plant Sciences

hal-01094225
https://hal-agroparistech.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01094225
DOI : 10.1086/654846

Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD
Résumé : Diffusion du document : INRA Documentation de Centre, Domaine de Duclos, 97170 Petitt-Bourg (Guadeloupe, France) Diplôme : DEA
il s'agit d'un type de produit dont les métadonnées ne correspondent pas aux métadonnées attendues dans les autres types de produit : DISSERTATION
Because soil respiration representes 80% of ecosystem respiration, it is a major flux between biosphere and atmosphere. We examined the effects of root and litter exclusion on soil CO! efflux (Rsu1) using trenching and litter exclusion in a tropical plantation constituted of trees seedlings installed in 16 mono-specific stands 20 years ago near Kourou, French Guyana. Soil CO2 efflux was measured using an infra red gas analyser (PP System,EGM4 ) at 16 randomly distributed plot in each treatment: control, root exclusion, litter exclusion and both root and litter exclusion. in the plantation. We measured R'1l1during four periods, and we have collected soil samples, litter biomass and measured moisture at 5 cm depth in the soil. Soil CO, efflux varied significantly among species from 2,8±O,7f1mo l. m''. s' (mean ± standard deviation) to 7.4± 1.7fLmol. n'-' . s ' for Qualea rosea and Vochys ia tomentosa, respectively. 1'0 significant correlation was found between RSIlI variability and soil moisture, which is mostly related to soil texture in the experimental site. Soil CO2 efflux was significantly reduced in litter exclusion treatment and root exclusion plots (6 months litter and/or root exclusion) during ail measurements period and for ail species, compared to control plots. The reduction of soil CO, efflux was higher in plot without root than in plot without litter of control plot (42% and 25%, respectively). There was an import ant specific diversity in these reductions . We estimated the contribution of roof respiration (Rr) to total Rso1 by calculating the difference between Rso1 control and Rsn l root exclusion plot corrected for the decomposition of root that were killed following t re n e h in ~. Thus the heterotrophic component of soil carbon efflux accounts for 46% of total carbon efflux (1,9f1 mol. rn" . s•') while root respiration accounts for 54% of soil carbon release (2,3 ~t mo l. m-2 S-I) . Because there was a negative and significant correlation between microbial respiration (Rrn) and C/N of mature leaves it seemed to be possible to predict Rm if we known the mature leaves quality. In addition a good estimate theorical R ~, values from R~, measured in different treatments.
La respiration du sol en représentant une part de 80% de la respiration de l'écosystème apparaît être un flux majeur entre la biosphère et l'atmosphère. Nous avons étudié les effets de l'exclusion racinaire et de la litière sur le flux de CO, du sol (R ~ , ) en utilisant la méthode de " Trench-plots" et de suppression de litière dans une plantation d'arbres tropicaux. Ces arbres, âgés de 20 ans ont été plantés sur un sol uniforme, près de Kourou en Guyane française, en 16 placeaux mono-spécifiques. Pour mesurer les flux de CO2 provenant du sol, nous avons utilisé un analyseur différentiel de gaz infrarouge portable muni d'une chambre. Les mesures ont été faites sur 4 traitements différents tels que : le contrôle, l'exclusion racinaire, l'exclusion de litière et l'exclusion de litière et de racine et ce, répétés sur chacune des 16 placettes mono-spécifiques. Cette étude comporte 4 campagnes de mesures. Nous avons également effectué des prélèvements de sol de litière et nous avons fait des mesures d’humidité de sol à une profondeur de 5 cm. Les flux de C01 du sol varient fortement entre espèces de 2.8±O.7 ~t m o 1. m-2. sol à 7 A± 1. 7 ~t m o l. m•1 sol pour Qua/ev rosea ct Vochysto tomentasa, respectivement. Il n'existe pas de corrélation significative entre les variations de Rw l ct celles de l'humidité du sol (indication sur la texture du sol de la plantation ). Nous avons observé que Rso1 était significativement plus faible dans les placeaux sans racines et/ou sans litière (6 mois après la mise en place de l'expérimentation) pour toutes les campagnes de mesures et pour toutes les espèces que dans les placeaux contrôlés. Cette réduction du flux de CO2 du sol est plus forte dans les "trench-plots " que dans les traitement s d'exclusion de litière avec 42 et 25% respectivement. Un effet "traitement " et un effet "espèce" important expliquent 3 1"/.. ct 13% de la variabilité totale de R~. Nous avons cherché à connaître la contribution des racines dans les valeurs de R""I. en comparant le flux de CO2 provenant du sol sur des "trench -plot s'' au flux de COl provenant du sol dans les placeaux contrôlés . Cette estimation a été corrigée pour prendre en compte la décomposition des racines tuées par les tranchées. Ainsi, la composante appartenant aux micro -organismes représente 46% du flux total de carbone provenant du sol (1.9Jlmo l. m-2 S•I ) alors que la respiration des racines représente 54% du dégagement de carbone (2 ,3~lmol. m ol . 5-La respiration des micro-organismes pourrait être estimée en mesurant le C/N des feuilles matures puisqu'il existe une corrélation significative et négative entre les deux. Enfin les résultats obtenus sur les différents traitements permettent d'obtenir une bonne estimation de la respiration du sol avec un RSIlI théorique corrélé à 66% avec les valeurs réelles mesurées.
https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01189239

hal-01189239
https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01189239
PRODINRA : 18212

Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD Springer Verlag
Résumé : Plant litter diversity effects on decomposition rates are frequently reported, but with a strong bias towards temperate ecosystems. Altered decomposition and nutrient recycling with changing litter diversity may be particularly important in tree species-rich tropical rainforests on nutrient-poor soils. Using 28 different mixtures of leaf litter from 16 Amazonian rainforest tree species, we tested the hypothesis that litter mixture effects on decomposition increase with increasing functional litter diversity. Litter mixtures and all single litter species were exposed in the field for 9 months using custom-made microcosms with soil fauna access. In order to test the hypothesis that the long-term presence of tree species contributing to the litter mixtures increases mixture effects on decomposition, microcosms were installed in a plantation at sites including the respective tree species composition and in a nearby natural forest where these tree species are absent. We found that mixture decomposition deviated from predictions based on single species, with predominantly synergistic effects. Functional litter diversity, defined as either richness, evenness, or divergence based on a wide range of chemical traits, did not explain the observed litter mixture effects. However, synergistic effects in litter mixtures increased with the long-term presence of tree species contributing to these mixtures as the home field advantage hypothesis assumes. Our data suggest that complementarity effects on mixed litter decomposition may emerge through long-term interactions between aboveground and belowground biota.
ISSN: 0029-8549

hal-01032393
https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01032393
DOI : 10.1007/s00442-011-1966-4

Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD
Résumé : The forests of French Guiana occupy a central part of the region’s potential resource base, but as yet remain almost completely unexploited. This stems from the forestry industry struggling to valorize wood stocks of a high diversity with an extremely heterogeneous distribution. Indeed, identifying essences for future propagation is an issue of both environmental and socio-economic importance for the region. Bagassa guianensis Aubl. and Cordia alliodora (Ruiz & Pav.) Oken. go against conventional models, in that they display the life history characteristics of rapid growth and wood of high quality, and thus are species of high potential for future plantations. Firstly, our study of growth characteristics reveals a defined strategy half way between long-lived species and pioneer species. It is the variability of basic density of wood which is a key trait allowing for such a development, favoring rapid growth in initial years whilst allowing for tree longevity. Secondly, the analysis of a range of wood properties (shrinkage, modulus of elasticity, durability) in relation to tree growth confirms the technologic quality of the two species. It also enables the emergence of new results like the effect of extractives on wood stability, the control of growth as a result of basic density variation, the evolution of leaf traits throughout tree development or the improvement of trunk maintenance thanks to interlocked grain. The knowledge gained in relation to the developmental traits of these two species, and to the quality of their wood allows for the elaboration of plantation projects and what will be required for their success. The results of this study can orientate future studies on novel species for commercialization in French Guiana.
La ressource forestière en Guyane occupe une place maîtresse au sein de la région et est encore majoritairement préservée, mais la filière bois parvient difficilement à valoriser la biodiversité locale en raison de l’hétérogénéité de la ressource. Identifier les essences à planter demain représente aujourd’hui un enjeu à la fois environnemental, économique et social pour la Guyane. Bagassa guianensis Aubl. et Cordia alliodora (Ruiz & Pav.) Oken. vont à l’encontre des modèles usuels en associant vitesse de croissance et qualité du bois et sont identifiées comme prometteuses pour la plantation. Dans un premier temps, l’étude de la dynamique de croissance des deux espèces révèle un modèle écologique singulier, à la fois pionnières et longévives. La variabilité de l’infradensité dans l’arbre est l’élément clé qui permet un tel développement, favorisant une croissance rapide dans les premières années tout en assurant la longévité de l’individu. Dans une seconde partie, l’analyse d’un large panel de propriétés du bois (retrait, module, durabilité) en lien avec le développement de l’arbre confirme les qualités technologiques des deux espèces et permet l’émergence de résultats novateurs tels que le rôle des extractibles sur le retrait, le contrôle de la croissance grâce aux variations d’infradensité, l’évolution des traits foliaires au cours de l’ontogénie ou encore la mise en place de contrefil dans l’arbre pour assurer son maintien. La connaissance acquise vis-à-vis du mode de développement de ces deux espèces et des facteurs influençant la qualité de leur bois permet aujourd’hui de définir avec plus de précision le cadre d’un projet de plantation et les conditions de son succès. Les résultats de cette étude permettent finalement d’orienter la recherche de nouvelles espèces d’avenir pour la plantation en Guyane.
https://tel.archives-ouvertes.fr/tel-01430243

Droits : info:eu-repo/semantics/OpenAccess
NNT : 2015YANE0002
tel-01430243
https://tel.archives-ouvertes.fr/tel-01430243
https://tel.archives-ouvertes.fr/tel-01430243/document
https://tel.archives-ouvertes.fr/tel-01430243/file/julie-bossu.pdf

Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD Oxford University Press (OUP)
Résumé : International audience
Background and Aims: In rain forests, sapling survival is highly dependent on the regulation of trunk slenderness (height/diameter ratio): shade-intolerant species have to grow in height as fast as possible to reach the canopy but also have to withstand mechanical loadings (wind and their own weight) to avoid buckling. Recent studies suggest that mechanosensing is essential to control tree dimensions and stability-related morphogenesis. Differences in species slenderness have been observed among rainforest trees; the present study thus investigates whether species with different slenderness and growth habits exhibit differences in mechanosensitivity. Methods: Recent studies have led to a model of mechanosensing (sum-of-strains model) that predicts a quantitative relationship between the applied sum of longitudinal strains and the plant's responses in the case of a single bending. Saplings of five different neotropical species (Eperua falcata, E. grandiflora, Tachigali melinonii, Symphonia globulifera and Bauhinia guianensis) were subjected to a regimen of controlled mechanical loading phases (bending) alternating with still phases over a period of 2 months. Mechanical loading was controlled in terms of strains and the five species were subjected to the same range of sum of strains. The application of the sum-of-strain model led to a dose-response curve for each species. Dose-response curves were then compared between tested species. Key Results: The model of mechanosensing (sum-of-strain model) applied in the case of multiple bending as long as the bending frequency was low. A comparison of dose-response curves for each species demonstrated differences in the stimulus threshold, suggesting two groups of responses among the species. Interestingly, the liana species B. guianensis exhibited a higher threshold than other Leguminosae species tested. Conclusions: This study provides a conceptual framework to study variability in plant mechanosensing and demonstrated interspecific variability in mechanosensing.
ISSN: 0305-7364

halsde-00454145
https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/halsde-00454145
DOI : 10.1093/aob/mcp286

Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD Public Library of Science
Résumé : We examined tree-soil habitat associations in lowland forest communities at Paracou, French Guiana. We analyzed a large dataset assembling six permanent plots totaling 37.5 ha, in which extensive LIDAR-derived topographical data and soil chemical and physical data have been integrated with precise botanical determinations. Map of relative elevation from the nearest stream summarized both soil fertility and hydromorphic characteristics, with seasonally inundated bottomlands having higher soil phosphate content and base saturation, and plateaus having higher soil carbon, nitrogen and aluminum contents. We employed a statistical test of correlations between tree species density and environmental maps, by generating Monte Carlo simulations of random raster images that preserve autocorrelation of the original maps. Nearly three fourths of the 94 taxa with at least one stem per ha showed a significant correlation between tree density and relative elevation, revealing contrasted species-habitat associations in term of abundance, with seasonally inundated bottomlands (24.5% of species) and well-drained plateaus (48.9% of species). We also observed species preferences for environments with or without steep slopes (13.8% and 10.6%, respectively). We observed that closely-related species were frequently associated with different soil habitats in this region (70% of the 14 genera with congeneric species that have a significant association test) suggesting species-habitat associations have arisen multiple times in this tree community. We also tested if species with similar habitat preferences shared functional strategies. We found that seasonally inundated forest specialists tended to have smaller stature (maximum diameter) than species found on plateaus. Our results underline the importance of tree-soil habitat associations in structuring diverse communities at fine spatial scales and suggest that additional studies are needed to disentangle community assembly mechanisms related to dispersal limitation, biotic interactions and environmental filtering from species-habitat associations. Moreover, they provide a framework to generalize across tropical forest sites.
ISSN: 1932-6203

hal-01260289
https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01260289
PRODINRA : 342930
DOI : 10.1371/journal.pone.0141488

Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD Ethnobotany Research and Applications
Résumé : We examined the limitations of parataxonomic inventories for developing management plans for woody plant resources in tropical rain forests of southwestern Amazonia. Using compilations of herbarium labels, forest personnel interviews and published species descriptions, we assessed the accuracy of common names as parataxonomic units (PUs). We identified 384 common names for 310 harvested woody plant species in the Brazilian state of Acre, of which only 50% were unique to a single taxonomic species. About 10% of common names referred to more than one species, more than half of which included multiple genera. For the 106 species from the Acre sample common to the MAP region including Madre de Dios, Peru and Pando, Bolivia, we identified 198 common names. Splitting was much more frequent in this sample, with more than 80% of species having more than one common name. When the Acre sample was expanded to 131 species from the Brazilian Amazon region, including the states of Amazonas and Para, we identified 740 common names, with nearly 90% of species being represented by more than one common name. Errors and inaccuracy of parataxonomy may contribute to market instability if product orders can not be homogenized within regional markets, and to unsustainable harvests if species are mistakenly lumped into single parataxonomic units. We discuss several programs currently being implemented by our collaborative team in the region to address this issue, including field guides based on digital photography, field courses, and workshops featuring discussions between regional inventory personnel and botanists.
ISSN: 1547-3465

hal-01032404
https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01032404

Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD Wiley-Blackwell
Résumé :  
1. Despite considerable interest in the application of plant functional traits to questions of community assembly and ecosystem structure and function, there is no consensus on the appropriateness of sampling designs to obtain plot-level estimates in diverse plant communities. 2. We measured 10 plant functional traits describing leaf and stem morphology and ecophysiology for all trees in nine 1-ha plots in terra firme lowland tropical rain forests of French Guiana (N = 4709). 3.We calculated, by simulation, the mean and variance in trait values for each plot and each trait expected under seven sampling methods and a range of sampling intensities. Simulated sampling methods included a variety of spatial designs, as well as the application of existing data base values to all individuals of a given species. 4. For each trait in each plot, we defined a performance index for each sampling design as the proportion of resampling events that resulted in observed means within 5% of the true plot mean, and observed variance within 20%of the true plot variance. 5. The relative performance of sampling designs was consistent for estimations of means and variances. Data base use had consistently poor performance for most traits across all plots, whereas sampling one individual per species per plot resulted in relatively high performance. We found few differences among different spatial sampling strategies; however, for a given strategy, increased intensity of sampling resulted in markedly improved accuracy in estimates of trait mean and variance. 6. We also calculated the financial cost of each sampling design based on data from our 'every individual per plot' strategy and estimated the sampling and botanical effort required. The relative performance of designs was strongly positively correlated with relative financial cost, suggesting that sampling investment returns are relatively constant. 7. Our results suggest that trait sampling for many objectives in species-rich plant communities may require the considerable effort of sampling at least one individual of each species in each plot, and that investment in complete sampling, though great, may be worthwhile for at least some traits.
Functional Ecology

hal-01032175
https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01032175
DOI : 10.1111/j.1365-2435.2009.01600.x

Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD Wiley-Blackwell
Résumé :  
Cross-species analyses of plant functional traits have shed light on factors contributing to differences in performance and distribution, but to date most studies have focused on either leaves or stems. We extend these tissue-specific analyses of functional strategy towards a whole-plant approach by integrating data on functional traits for 13 448 leaves and wood tissues from 4672 trees representing 668 species of Neotropical trees. Strong correlations amongst traits previously defined as the leaf economics spectrum reflect a tradeoff between investments in productive leaves with rapid turnover vs. costly physical leaf structure with a long revenue stream. A second axis of variation, the 'stem economics spectrum', defines a similar tradeoff at the stem level: dense wood vs. high wood water content and thick bark. Most importantly, these two axes are orthogonal, suggesting that tradeoffs operate independently at the leaf and at the stem levels. By simplifying the multivariate ecological strategies of tropical trees into positions along these two spectra, our results provide a basis to improve global vegetation models predicting responses of tropical forests to global change.
Ecology Letters

hal-01032142
https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01032142
DOI : 10.1111/j.1461-0248.2010.01517.x

Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD Springer Verlag/EDP Sciences
Résumé : International audience
Background : This study examines the radial trend in wood stiffness of tropical rainforest trees. The objective was to determine if the type of growing environment (exposed plantation or dense primary forest) would have an effect on this radial trend. Methods : The axial elastic modulus of wood samples, representing a pith to bark cross-section, of six trees from several French Guianese species (two of Eperua falcata, one of Eperua grandiflora, two of Carapa procera and one of Symphonia gloubulifera) was measured using a dynamic "forced vibration" method. Results : Primary forest trees were observed to have a decrease in wood stiffness from pith to bark, whereas plantation trees, from the same genus or species, displayed a corresponding increase in wood stiffness. Juvenile wood stiffness appears to vary depending on the environment in which the tree had grown. Conclusion : We suggest that the growth strategy of primary forest trees is to produce wood resistant to selfbuckling so that the height of the canopy may be obtained with the maximum of efficiency. In contrast, the growth strategy of the trees growing in an exposed plantation is to produce low-stiffness wood, important to provide flexibility in wind. Further experiments to study the behaviour of more species, with more individuals per species, growing across a range of physical environments, are required.
ISSN: 1286-4560

hal-00644335
https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-00644335
https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-00644335/document
https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-00644335/file/McLean_al.pdf
DOI : 10.1007/s13595-011-0085-z

Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD American Association for the Advancement of Science
Résumé : International audience
Most eukaryotic organisms are arthropods. Yet, their diversity in rich terrestrial ecosystems is still unknown. Here we produce tangible estimates of the total species richness of arthropods in a tropical rainforest. Using a comprehensive range of structured protocols, we sampled the phylogenetic breadth of arthropod taxa from the soil to the forest canopy in the San Lorenzo forest, Panama. We collected 6144 arthropod species from 0.48 hectare and extrapolated total species richness to larger areas on the basis of competing models. The whole 6000-hectare forest reserve most likely sustains 25,000 arthropod species. Notably, just 1 hectare of rainforest yields >60% of the arthropod biodiversity held in the wider landscape. Models based on plant diversity fitted the accumulated species richness of both herbivore and nonherbivore taxa exceptionally well. This lends credence to global estimates of arthropod biodiversity developed from plant models.
ISSN: 0036-8075

hal-00817285
https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-00817285
https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-00817285/document
https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-00817285/file/1226727Revisedtext.pdf
DOI : 10.1126/science.1226727

Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD Oxford University Press (OUP)
Résumé : Publication Inra prise en compte dans l'analyse bibliométrique des publications scientifiques mondiales sur les Fruits, les Légumes et la Pomme de terre. Période 2000-2012. http://prodinra.inra.fr/record/256699
Background and Aims Plastic tree-shelters are increasingly used to protect tree seedlings against browsing animals and herbicide drifts. The biomass allocation in young seedlings of deciduous trees is highly disturbed by common plastic tree-shelters, resulting in poor root systems and reduced diameter growth of the trunk. The shelters have been improved by creating chimney-effect ventilation with holes drilled at the bottom, resulting in stimulated trunk diameter growth, but the root deficit has remained unchanged. An experiment was set up to elucidate the mechanisms behind the poor root growth of sheltered Prunus avium trees. Methods Tree seedlings were grown either in natural windy conditions or in tree-shelters. Mechanical wind stimuli were suppressed in ten unsheltered trees by staking. Mechanical stimuli (bending) of the stem were applied in ten sheltered trees using an original mechanical device. Key Results Sheltered trees suffered from poor root growth, but sheltered bent trees largely recovered, showing that mechano-sensing is an important mechanism governing C allocation and the shoot-root balance. The use of a few artificial mechanical stimuli increased the biomass allocation towards the roots, as did natural wind sway. It was demonstrated that there was an acclimation of plants to the imposed strain. Conclusions This study suggests that if mechanical stimuli are used to control plant growth, they should be applied at low frequency in order to be most effective. The impact on the functional equilibrium hypothesis that is used in many tree growth models is discussed. The consequence of the lack of mechanical stimuli should be incorporated in tree growth models when applied to environments protected from the wind (e.g. greenhouses, dense forests).
ISSN: 0305-7364

hal-01032056
https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01032056
DOI : 10.1093/aob/mcn054

Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD Wiley
Résumé : Plant germination and development depend upon a seed's successful dispersal into a suitable habitat and its ability to grow and survive within the surrounding biotic and abiotic environment. The seeds of Aechmea mertensii, a tank-bromeliad species, are dispersed by either Camponotus femoratus or Neoponera goeldii, two ant species that initiate ant gardens (AGs). These two mutualistic ant species influence the vegetative and reproductive traits of the bromeliad through their divergent ecological preferences (i.e. light and substrate). We hypothesised that the seeds dispersed by these two ant species have underlying genetic differences affecting germination, growth and survival of A.mertensii seedlings in different ways. To test this, we used an experimental approach consisting of sowing seeds of A.mertensii: (i) taken from the two AG-ant associations (i.e. seed origin), (ii) in two contrasting light conditions, and (iii) on three different substrates. Light and substrate had significant effects on germination, survival and on eight key leaf traits reflecting plant performance. Seed origin had a significant effect only on germination and on two leaf traits (total dry mass and relative growth rate). Overall, this bromeliad performs better (i.e. high growth and survival rates) when growing both in the shade and in the carton nest developed by C.femoratus ants. These results suggest that the plasticity of the tank bromeliad A.mertensii is mainly due to environment but also to genetic differences related to seed origin, as some traits are heritable. Thus, these two ant species may play contrasting roles in shaping plant evolution and speciation.
ISSN: 1435-8603

hal-01606565
https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01606565
DOI : 10.1111/plb.12452
PRODINRA : 407514

Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD Elsevier
Résumé : International audience
Although ants may induce community-wide effects via changes in physical habitats in terrestrial environments, their influence on aquatic communities living in plant-held waters remains largely underexplored. The neotropical tank-bromeliad Aechmea mertensii (Bromeliaceae) occurs along forest edges in ant-gardens initiated by Camponotus femoratus or by Pachycondyla goeldii. Its leaves form wells that hold rainwater and provide suitable habitats for many aquatic organisms. We postulated that these ant-plant mutualisms indirectly affect the microbial community structure via changes in the environmental conditions experienced by the plants. To test this hypothesis, we analyzed the protist communities from 63 tank-bromeliads associated with either C. femoratus or P. goeldii (hereafter Cf-Aechmea and Pg-Aechmea) along a forest edge in French Guiana. For each plant, a large number of environmental variables (including habitat structure, food resources, incident radiation and the presence of aquatic invertebrates) were quantified to determine their relative importance in driving any observed differences across ant-associated plants. Pg-Aechmea are located in sun-exposed areas and hold low volumes of water and low amounts of detritus, whereas Cf-Aechmea are located in partially shaded areas and accumulate higher amounts of water and detritus. Protists (i.e., protozoa and algae) inhabiting Cf-Aechmea exhibit greater richness and abundances than those in Pg-Aechmea. Variations in detritus content, number of leaves, incident radiation, and the epiphyte richness of the ant-garden were the main factors explaining the variation in protist richness. A shift in the functional group composition of protists between bromeliads tended by different ant species suggested that mutualistic ants indirectly mediate changes in the microbial food web.
ISSN: 1439-1791

hal-00817519
https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-00817519

Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD National Research Council Canada
Résumé :  
Le développement de l'axe principal d'arbres de deux peuplements de chêne sessile âgés respectivement de 15 et 29 ans a été reconstitué par l'observation simultanée de marqueurs morphologiques et anatomiques de la croissance. La comparaison de la structure morphologique des pousses annuelles et des unités de croissance selon leur âge ontogénique ou leur année de formation a permis de dégager des tendances dues au stade de développement de la plante ou aux effets climatiques annuels. Au cours du développement, trois phases se distinguent. La première se traduit par la formation de pousses annuelles monocycliques de taille constante et correspond probablement à la présence du couvert forestier. Dans une seconde phase, les modalités de développement intrinsèques à l'arbre s'expriment en priorité ; le taux de polycyclisme, comme la longueur des pousses annuelles, augmente régulièrement d'une année sur l'autre, et on observe une forte différenciation entre les unités de croissance successives d'une même pousse annuelle bicyclique. Lors de la troisième phase, les facteurs environnementaux semblent avoir une influence plus marquée sur la croissance des individus. La longueur des différentes structures est stationnaire, malgré des fluctuations inter-annuelles. Les différences entre les deux unités de croissance successives des pousses annuelles bicycliques ne sont pas systématiques.
ISSN: 0008-4026

hal-01032105
https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01032105
DOI : 10.1139/cjb-78-3-361

Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD Ecological Society of America
Résumé : International audience
The main theories explaining the biological diversity of rain forests often confer a limited understanding of the contribution of interspecific interactions to the observed patterns. We show how two-species mutualisms can affect much larger segments of the invertebrate community in tropical rain forests. Aechmea mertensii (Bromeliaceae) is both a phytotelm (plant-held water) and an ant-garden epiphyte. We studied the influence of its associated ant species (Pachycondyla goeldii and Camponotus femoratus) on the physical characteristics of the plants, and, subsequently, on the diversity of the invertebrate communities that inhabit their tanks. As dispersal agents for the bromeliads, P. goeldii and C. femoratus influence the shape and size of the bromeliad by determining the location of the seedling, from exposed to partially shaded areas. By coexisting on a local scale, the two ant species generate a gradient of habitat conditions in terms of available resources (space and food) for aquatic invertebrates, the diversity of the invertebrate communities increasing with greater volumes of water and fine detritus. Two-species mutualisms are widespread in nature, but their influence on the diversity of entire communities remains largely unexplored. Because macroinvertebrates constitute an important part of animal production in all ecosystem types, further investigations should address the functional implications of such indirect effects.
Ecology

hal-00911501
https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-00911501
https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-00911501/document
DOI : 10.1890/09-1534.1
OATAO : 10118

Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD Springer Verlag
Résumé : The suitability of the natural 15N abundance and of total N concentration of leaves as indicators of the type of plant N nutrition in a rain forest of French Guiana were tested. Leaf samples from primary legume species, non-legumes (pioneer species) and from the non-N2-fixing species Dicorynia guianensis were analyzed. Both '15N and total leaf N varied widely (m1 r '15N (‰) r 7 and 1 r leaf N(%) r 3.2) suggesting possible distinctions between diazotrophic and non-fixing plants. The '15N also revealed two statistically distinct groups of non-N2-fixing species ('15N = 5.14 - 0.3 vs '15Nv=v1.65 - 0.17) related to the different ecological behaviors of these species in the successional processes. We conclude that the '15N signature of plant leaves combined with their total N concentration may be relevant indicators for identifying functional groups within the community of non-N2-fixing species, as well as for detecting diazotrophy. Despite the variability in the '15N of the non-N2-fixing species, N2-fixing groups can still be identified, provided that plants are simultaneously classified taxonomically, by their leaf '15N and total N concentration and by the presence or absence of nodules. The variability in the '15N of the non-fixing species is discussed.
ISSN: 0029-8549

hal-01031454
https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01031454
DOI : 10.1007/s004420050846